The O’s rotation could get a shot in the arm this afternoon.
Brandon Young, the Orioles’ ninth-ranked pitching prospect according to MLB Pipeline, is set to make his major league debut against the Cincinnati Reds. The right-hander brings elite command, and thus the ability to work deep into games, to a rotation in need of innings.
“He has been outstanding,” said longtime Tides broadcaster Pete Michaud. “His first two starts were lights out.”
And that’s not an exaggeration. In his first two outings of the season, Young totaled over 11 innings without allowing an earned run. The 26-year-old allowed just seven hits and two walks while striking out 11, good for an opposing OPS of just .404.
In those starts, Young’s strike rate was at a ludicrous 69 percent. For context, Zach Eflin is known for filling up the strike zone and boasts a 66 percent strike rate this season.
Of the right-handers' six offerings, five of them are in the zone over 50 percent of the time, including his fastball, often located at the top of a hitter’s strike zone.
“He’s a little bit of a throwback,” Michaud noted of Young. “Brandon Young is a guy where it’s … Fastball, fastball, fastball. He relies on that, and then he sets up the breaking ball, the changeup off of that. He’s modeled a little bit more after a guy who might’ve played the game 20, 40 or 50 years ago.”
Young’s calling card is his command. Through his first three starts of the 2025 season, the Louisiana Lafayette product has walked just two batters in over 16 innings of work, good for just 1.1 walks per nine innings.
That’s a far cry from many other pitchers in the system, who are known for their stuff, but not necessarily their ability to throw strikes. Young, however, has found an effective balance of both.
While his command jumps off the page, he’s still able to find punchouts too. His fastball doesn’t have overwhelming velocity, but his changeup and curveball are effective chase pitches. Even while showcasing impressive walk numbers, Young is still averaging 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings in his minor league career.
That all adds up to a prospect that could stick around at the next level.
“I think he’s someone that could be a fourth or fifth guy in a big league location somewhere. He has that kind of potential,” Michaud said. “I’m not expecting Brandon to just go up and dominate early, but he’s got stuff and I think he can fit in.”
The Orioles could certainly use some fitting in, and the bar isn’t dominating.
Entering last night’s game against the Reds, the Orioles had the worst rotation ERA in the American League. Cade Povich’s seven earned runs in just over three innings of work certainly didn’t help that figure, bumping it to 5.57.
Young doesn’t need to be dominant, but he could help provide some stability.
He’s not a pitcher who will take you out of many ball games. His most recent start for the Tides, in which he allowed five earned runs, was arguably his worst outing since September of 2023 in Bowie.
In Young’s 27 appearances in 2024, 24 of which were starts, he never allowed more than four earned runs. In fact, he allowed those four earned runs just three times. Doing some quick mental math, that means he allowed three earned runs or fewer in 24 of his 27 outings a season ago. If that can translate to the big league level, that will certainly play.
Only time and experience will tell if Young is able to bring a similar sort of stability to the majors. But after a rough first few trips around the rotation, Baltimore is looking for any answers.
Young could be one of them.